TV REVIEW: Glow – Season 3

Season 3 of Glow kicks off with our favourite lady wrestlers starting their 3 month show run in Vegas. It is a whole new world for the team, living in the hotel and doing the same show every night. Once again they’re all dealing with their own personal struggles and struggles with each other but this time everything is focused on identity.

Both Ruth (Alison Brie) and Carmen (Britney Young) are trying to figure out what they want to do with their futures and Ruth has the added challenge of trying to unpick her feelings for Sam (Marc Marron).

Debbie (Betty Gilpin) is wrestling with the challenge of career versus motherhood and the judgement that is piled on working mothers versus working fathers. Bash (Chris Lowell) and Rhonda (Kate Nash) are adjusting to married life, while Arthie (Sunita Mani) and Yolanda (Shakira Barrera) find their feet in a new relationship and Cherry (Sydelle Noel) contemplates motherhood. The most fascinating identity struggle though is that of Sheila (Gayle Rankin) who starts to contemplate stepping away from her wolf persona.

The theme of gender politics is front and centre once again, not only in the implication that motherhood is a career ender but also in the idea that women are not protagonists. This is painfully aware when Sam’s daughter, Justine (Britt Baron) attempts to sell her autobiographical screenplay and the studio exec suggests Michael J. Fox for the lead.

Another ongoing theme is that of racism and privilege and how many people fail to recognise their own bias. There is an episode where the wrestlers switch characters and the way they choose to portray each other leads to some alarming discoveries.

The show also starts to touch on gender identity, homophobia and sexuality and it is interesting watching it through the lens of the far more permissive and flexible modern era. Both Bash and Arthie’s shame and worry over their sexual identities is a reminder of how much things have changed.

This season brought some great new characters in drag artist Bobby Barnes (Kevin Cahoon) and casino manager and former showgirl, Sandy Devereaux St. Clair (Geena Davis). I loved the relationship that forms between Bobby and Sheila and how it helps her come out of her shell. I also liked how Sandy was a bit of a catalyst for Debbie embracing her own inner ruthless business woman and I liked her more than ever in this season.

Once again this show is touching, hilarious and totally addictive. It was the best season yet for me. The characters are so rounded and entertaining that it’s hard for them not to feel like your friends. Apparently there is going to be one more season of Glow and I will definitely be front and centre for it.

I am not sure this was my favourite season, but I love that show as a whole so much! They always manage to shed new light on characters, even if you think you’ve known them for long enough of a time by now. I just really wish Ruth and Sam would get their shit together, it’s ridiculous how much I’d like to see them together haha

The character building is second to none. There were several characters that I misjudged at the start and my opinion has totally changed watching their journey. I too want to see Ruth and Sam together. They really “get” each other.